[INSIDER] NEW YORK #66: New York's Pizza

[INSIDER] NEW YORK #66: New York's Pizza

The greatest thing about New York might be the fact that you can get a bite of something amazing at pretty much any hour on any day. And one thing that is consistently amazing here is the pizza. You can find some of the best pizza on Earth, and always the best pizza in the States, in New York. The only people that might disagree also say, “This year is the Cubs year, man…” every spring.

What follows is who’s who of New York pies and slices, in no particular order. Some are staples you’ve all heard of, some not so much, but they’re great nonetheless.

– Gaby’s Pizza: 204-23 Hillside Ave, Hollis, Queens

Rated #1 by a lot of folk, including Rachel Ray, this is a Queens rite of passage with good reason.

– Motorino Pizza: 319 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn

A 1000°F oven, apparently, can do wonders…

– Paulie Gee’s: 60 Greenpoint Avenue Brooklyn

Variety is king in Greenpoint.

– Patsy’s Pizza: 2287 First Avenue, Manhattan

One of the few coal ovens left in the city, these slices carry a lot of history on their thin crusts.

– Totonno’s: 1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn

Coal oven pizza out by Coney Island. Simple and great.

– L&B Spumoni Gardens: 2725 86th Street Brooklyn

A Sicilian slice done as right as right gets.

– Artichoke: 328 East 14th Street, Manhattan

It’s basically a slice of dip, but I mean that in a good way.

– Di Fara Pizza: 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn

This is one that should be noted with a grain of salt. It’s a staple of Midwood that produces a classic Neapolitan pizza, but the place gets closed down for health violations practically seasonally. And the pizza seems to have changed a bit in the many years it’s been open. The last time I went the pizza was just way too salty. Which is very weird for a Neapolitan slice.

– Lombardi’s: 32 Spring St, Manhattan

It’s the first and, obviously, oldest pizzeria in the country, over 100 years and still rivaled by few.